What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 29, 2025 at 1049 local time, an experimental amateur built Lancair 320/360 registered to and operated by a private pilot, impacted the ground immediately following take-off from runway 020 at Zeeland Ottawa Executive Airport (Z98) and was destroyed in a post fire crash. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was the only occupant and received fatal injuries.
Local observed weather data: kbiv 291353Z auto 20007KT 10SM clr 27/17 A3002 rmk AO2 SLP162 T02670172
According to a witness, the pilot fueled the aircraft at approximately 1020 local time and departed runway 020 at approximately 1048 local time. The witness was located approximately mid field and 350FT east of runway center. The witness stated the aircraft powered up and rolled down the runway and upon lift off began a roll to the left. The witnesses state the aircraft reached a height of no more than 150 to 200FT. The left roll continued to a steep angle of over 70 degrees and then left wing tip impacted the ground causing the aircraft to cartwheel and immediately burst into flames.
Post incident examination of the aircraft: the aircraft was on an approximate heading of 080 upon initial contact with the ground and then came to rest approximately 25 ft further and was pointed in an approximate 285 heading and was immediately engulfed in flames. Aircraft came to rest 1500FT down runway 020 and 250 ft to the east of the runway centerline. Post crash fire had fully consumed the entirety of the composite aircraft with the exception of the propeller that was embedded in the ground during initial impact. Continuity checks of rudder and engine controls were good but all other flight controls are driven by aluminum push-pull control tubes and they had all melted. Verified all steel flight control rod ends were accounted for and in the appropriate locations.
The experimental amateur-built aircraft was built from a kit and was certificated on 10/27/2023 and had still not flown off its required 40 hours of phase 1 flight testing. Review of the aircraft log book did not indicate that a condition inspection had been conducted within the past year. Witnesses indicated the pilot/builder had been making adjustments to ailerons in the recent past and review of the hangar showed rigging notes for the flap system.
Unable to determine the cause of the accident due to the pilot/builder being deceased and the aircraft's total destruction due to the post-crash fire.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 29, 2025 AT 1049 LOCAL TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT LANCAIR 320/360 REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, IMPACTED THE GROUND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TAKE-OFF FROM RUNWAY 020 AT ZEELAND OTTAWA EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (Z98) AND WAS DESTROYED IN A POST FIRE CRASH. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT AND RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.
LOCAL OBSERVED WEATHER DATA: KBIV 291353Z AUTO 20007KT 10SM CLR 27/17 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP162 T02670172
ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THE PILOT FUELED THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 1020 LOCAL TIME AND DEPARTED RUNWAY 020 AT APPROXIMATELY 1048 LOCAL TIME. THE WITNESS WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY MID FIELD AND 350FT EAST OF RUNWAY CENTER. THE WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT POWERED UP AND ROLLED DOWN THE RUNWAY AND UPON LIFT OFF BEGAN A ROLL TO THE LEFT. THE WITNESSES STATE THE AIRCRAFT REACHED A HEIGHT OF NO MORE THAN 150 TO 200FT. THE LEFT ROLL CONTINUED TO A STEEP ANGLE OF OVER 70 DEGREES AND THEN LEFT WING TIP IMPACTED THE GROUND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO CARTWHEEL AND IMMEDIATELY BURST INTO FLAMES.
POST INCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT: THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 080 UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND THEN CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 25 FT FURTHER AND WAS POINTED IN AN APPROXIMATE 285 HEADING AND WAS IMMEDIATELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST 1500FT DOWN RUNWAY 020 AND 250 FT TO THE EAST OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. POST CRASH FIRE HAD FULLY CONSUMED THE ENTIRETY OF THE COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PROPELLER THAT WAS EMBEDDED IN THE GROUND DURING INITIAL IMPACT. CONTINUITY CHECKS OF RUDDER AND ENGINE CONTROLS WERE GOOD BUT ALL OTHER FLIGHT CONTROLS ARE DRIVEN BY ALUMINUM PUSH-PULL CONTROL TUBES AND THEY HAD ALL MELTED. VERIFIED ALL STEEL FLIGHT CONTROL ROD ENDS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AND IN THE APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS.
THE EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT WAS BUILT FROM A KIT AND WAS CERTIFICATED ON 10/27/2023 AND HAD STILL NOT FLOWN OFF ITS REQUIRED 40 HOURS OF PHASE 1 FLIGHT TESTING. REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT LOG BOOK DID NOT INDICATE THAT A CONDITION INSPECTION HAD BEEN CONDUCTED WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. WITNESSES INDICATED THE PILOT/BUILDER HAD BEEN MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO AILERONS IN THE RECENT PAST AND REVIEW OF THE HANGAR SHOWED RIGGING NOTES FOR THE FLAP SYSTEM.
UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT DUE TO THE PILOT/BUILDER BEING DECEASED AND THE AIRCRAFT'S TOTAL DESTRUCTION DUE TO THE POST-CRASH FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.